Steam-trap



L. WOERNER.

STEAM TRAP.

Patented May 5., 1891.

ma News News co., moro-umu.. wunwcvnn, n. c.

Witnesse (N'o Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE LEO IVOERNER, OF LOUIS, MISSOURI.

STEAM-T RAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 451,547, dated May 5, 1891.

Application filed January 15, 1891. Serial No. 377,791. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEO WOERNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Steam- Traps, of which the following is such a full, clear, and exact description as will enable any one skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of steamtraps which are controlled by the expansion and contraction of metal.

The present invention pertains more particularly to an expansion-joint for the casing of the trap and to a means for arresting the foreign matter in the steam and blowing it off.

The invention will be best understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, in Which?- Figure 1 is a View, partly in section, of a steam-trap made in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a section thereof on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow to said line; and Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow to said latter line.

5 is a pipe which is adapted to be placed in communication with the eduction or exhaust pipe of any steam apparatus. This j pipe takes into a T-joint 6, into which enters at one side a pipe 7, having a nose 8 projecting well into said T-joint, the said nose 8 being adapted to catch any dirt or grit that is contained in the steam and cause it to pass into the pipe 7, from where it may be blown .off from time to time by opening at will a valve 9, located in said pipe 7. From the T- joint 6 also leads a pipe 10 to an elbow 11, that opens into the steam-trap proper. The elbow 11 is joined to a coupling 12 by ashort piece of pipe 13. The said coupling 12 is formed in a casting having radial arms 14., the purpose of which will be explained hereinafter. This coupling joins the pipe 13 to the pipe 15, which is in turn connected to a coupling 16, carried by a casting having radial arms 17. The coupling 16 is in turn joined-to a tube 18, the head 19 of which is secured in a casting 20, having radial arms 21. The respective radial arms 14, 17, and2l of the various castings are joined together by rods 22 22. IVithin the tube 18 is a perforated pipe 23, one end of which is secured to the head 19 of the tube 18, and the other end of which carries a valve 24, which is adapted to come against a seat formed in the coupling 16. From the tube 18 leads a pipe 25 for discharging the water of condensation from the trap. Normally the valve 24 is open, and steam entering the tube 18 through said valve causes the perforated pipe 23 to expand and close said valve. As soon as the steam has condensed the perforated pipe 23 cools and opens the valve 24, allowing more steam to enter the tube 18. The water of condensation escapes from the trap through the pipe 25.

I am aware that this principle of operation is old and well known and do not wish to be understood as claiming the same, my invention relating to providing the casing-tube 18 with an expansion-joint to compensate for its expansion and contraction, the absence of which in previous constructions often interferes with the successful operation of steamtraps.

To carry out the purposes of my invention I divide the tube 18 transversely of its length, and to the opposite separated edges thereof I secure the inner peripheries of annular plates 26, the outer peripheries of which are secured to a ring 27 by bolts 28. This construction permits the two parts of the tube 18 to lengthen or shorten by reason of expansion and contraction, the total length from 011e extreme end to the other always remaining the same, and the difference in length of the two parts being compensated for by the expansionjoint described. The operation of the Valve 24 and the action of the trap are not, therefore, interfered with; but the opening and closing of the valve depends solely upon the expansion and contraction of its own perforated stem. All the parts of the said trap are preferably made of brass.

Having fully described my improvements, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States as my invention 1. A steam-trap consisting of a perforated metal pipe, a valve carried thereby at one end IOO controlling the admission of steam to said trap, a divided tube surrounding said perforated pipe, an expansion-joint intermediate the adjacent ends of the divided tube, and a water-discharge pipe leading from the surrounding divided tube.

2. A steam-trap consisting of a perforated metal pipe, a valve carried thereby at one end controlling the admission of steam to said trap, a divided surrounding tube therefor, annular plates fastened to the adjacent separated edges of said divided tube, the outer peripheries of which are suitably joined together, and a water-discharge pipe leading from said surrounding tube.

3. The combination, to form a steam-trap, of a pipe 15, a divided tube 18, the couplings 12 and 16, the head 1f), the radial arms 14, 17,

and 21, the rods 22, joining the radial arms together and bracing the parts of the trap together, the perforated pipe 23 in said divided tube 18, a valve carried thereby, a water-discharge pipe 25, leading from said divided tube 18, and an expansion-joint connecting the 

